Haylee with her son Zackary
Some two weeks ago, Cambridge resident Haylee Bazen and her three-year-old son Zackary were having a bus stop conversation about his favourite Disney Princess, Snow White, when an elderly woman interrupted them. She didn't like the way Zackary was dressed - as Princess Elsa from the movie Frozen.
What she said enraged Zackary's mom so much that she came home and wrote an open letter about raising children sans gender stereotypes. Ms Bazen posted the picture of her son dressed in his Elsa dress with her note, shared around 31,000 times since May 21.
Ms Bazen wrote, "Zackary is my 3-year-old son and he can be who he wants to be. Today he was a Disney princess and YES I did send him to school like that. Why??? Because that's what he wanted to wear, because he wanted to show his teachers and friends his Elsa dress, because he wanted to sing 'let it go' for show and tell, because he doesn't understand the gender stereotypes YOU think he should conform to, but most importantly because he is awesome!!"
The angry mother didn't stop here, and added, "He plays with cars and dolls, princesses and pirates. He rides his scooter or pushes his pram. He wears zombie face painting or lip stick and if he chooses to wear a dress he can!!"
Haylee Bazen, you are awesome too.
Here's three-year-old Zackary being whoever the heck he wants to be:
Read his mother's letter here:
What she said enraged Zackary's mom so much that she came home and wrote an open letter about raising children sans gender stereotypes. Ms Bazen posted the picture of her son dressed in his Elsa dress with her note, shared around 31,000 times since May 21.
Ms Bazen wrote, "Zackary is my 3-year-old son and he can be who he wants to be. Today he was a Disney princess and YES I did send him to school like that. Why??? Because that's what he wanted to wear, because he wanted to show his teachers and friends his Elsa dress, because he wanted to sing 'let it go' for show and tell, because he doesn't understand the gender stereotypes YOU think he should conform to, but most importantly because he is awesome!!"
The angry mother didn't stop here, and added, "He plays with cars and dolls, princesses and pirates. He rides his scooter or pushes his pram. He wears zombie face painting or lip stick and if he chooses to wear a dress he can!!"
Haylee Bazen, you are awesome too.
Here's three-year-old Zackary being whoever the heck he wants to be:
Read his mother's letter here:
